Sarah's Story

Having a family had always been what my husband Nick and I had wanted, but getting to that place proved to be a bit more complicated than we anticipated. Our oldest son Ryan was born in 2016 after a fairly uncomplicated pregnancy. When we learned in 2018 that we were pregnant with a baby girl we were so excited! Unfortunately, that joy quickly turned to sadness when we learned that our daughter Molly would not be compatible with life. She was born sleeping in August of 2018. Nearly one year later in July 2019 after a 2.5 week inpatient stay on the antepartum unit at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), I gave birth to Jack at 29.1 weeks. He had been diagnosed with Intrauterine Growth Restriction and at birth he weighed 1 pound 9 ounces and measured 12 inches long. He spent 75 days in the BIDMC NICU where he received top notch care and was showered with many adorable Project Sweet Peas goodies, including his prized Fourth of July knit hat. Being in the NICU with a toddler at home was certainly one of the most trying times for our family. The “best worst place” shaped us in ways that we would never expect and introduced us to a community of the most empathic individuals. Giving back to families who are currently in the NICU has always been a passion of mine. The joy and connection that the Project Sweet Peas items brought me at a time when I was struggling is something I will never forget.